Dark Side of the Moon
by caitiespace
Summary: Companion to Evening Star told from Oliver's point-of-view.
1. Chapter 1

I sighed as I stared at the clock that sat on the mantle, not so much out of any dislike for the instrument itself - to be honest, I found clocks to be quite fascinating - but out of my irritation at how well it illustrated the predicament I currently found myself in. It was still only two pm, and as such, I was still subject to my voluntary seclusion for at least another two hours. Whilst I did not regret the life I lived – in fact, I found my life to be most fulfilling – I did regret the things that my current state of existence required, such as upholding the charade that I was as human as anyone else. Not only did daylight and I not get along so well, but the fact that I alone amongst all the people here had no need for sleep, yet I had to be seen to do so, tended to make me stay inside during the day. Although it seemed like a wasted twelve hours, I just had to endure it. At least it gave me plenty of time for my other hobbies. It's just… when you've had said hobbies for the past four hundred years, they tend not to be as fun as they used to be.

I felt my face twitch as the minute hand on the clock finally moved one tiny step forward, my body almost exploding from the frustration it created. Since returning home from work at three am - 39 600 seconds ago, not that I'm counting - time has insisted on dragging at an almost interminable rate for me to bear. You would think that by now, I would be used to the drag of the clock. I _have_ been alive (if alive is the right word for it) for over 400 years now - you would think that the individual seconds that had piled up during my nearly countless existence would become meaningless in the grand scheme of things, but they don't. They continued to have the same impact that they have had ever since my real life ended, almost four hundred years ago now.

That was one of the flaws of being a vampire - admittedly, a minor flaw, but a irritating flaw nonetheless. The burn of transformation may have taken many things away from me - a heartbeat and the ability to age, if I were to name but two - but at the same time it had insisted on giving me so much more. Immeasurable speed, strength, intelligence, and, the bane of this exact moment, absolutely acute attention. A second seemed like a long period of time to us. Not only was a second long enough for me to take everything in in a particular situation - sight, sound, smell, texture - but I was capable of _doing_ so much, and it made all those seconds that passed feel wasted. In a second, I could run 100m, scale a 2 storey building, complete a complex math problem, or, if I was to do what I was intended to do with this skill, end a life…

I was surprised just then when my phone began to ring. Although I had initially hated that particular addition to my home - even though I loathed my ability to hear people's thoughts, it _was_ rather disconcerting when they were absent - right now I was delighted that it existed, desperate for anything to disrupt the melancholy reverie overcoming me. I raced over and picked it up.

"Hello, Oliver Monroe speaking," I answered formally.

"Oliver, it's Ruth. I hope I haven't woken you – I know you've still got a few hours till your shift, but we just received the best news and I thought you'd like to know."

I chuckled, "It's ok, Ruth. I was awake. Tell me what the news is."

"We've received an application for the intern position, isn't that great? I can't believe that someone finally wants to come out _here_ of all places, but still, this is going to take a whole heap off you and Greg's shoulders…"

"That's great, Ruth," I interrupted, knowing that she would keep babbling for as long as I let her, "So who's the applicant?"

"Her name is Kaia Snow. Turns out she's some sort of child prodigy like you, top of her class…What is it with you kids and remote locations anyway?"

"I'm not _that_ young, Ruth," I chuckled at the understatement of the century, "So are you going to offer her the position?"

"Of _course_ we are! These opportunities are so rare that we can't afford to refuse. And she sounds so promising! I just hope that she likes it here and is able to adjust…"

I just smiled and let her banter. This could go on for awhile.

That was not the last time I heard of Kaia Snow. In fact, barely a day went by when I didn't hear about our upcoming arrival at least once. Seeming I only ever worked night shifts at the hospital, that was saying something. But then again, the whole of Keyes tended to get excited when a new brand of soap was stocked at the grocers, so maybe it wasn't so surprising.

Although I was interested in the newcomer to town, I was not as obsessed as everyone else was. I had seen people come and go from Keyes a thousand times since I moved here - in fact, I've seen hundreds of people be born and die since I arrived here. Our latest and brief guest would just be another face to the many I have seen over the centuries, but she was to be a passing concept. No one here was as eternal as I was, and I doubted I would remember Kaia Snow any better than I did any other human I've met – human life was always so fleeting.

It was finally the night when we could expect our new arrival. The whole town was abuzz. Truly, tonight was the one night I would have preferred my self-imposed seclusion. It would have made the inside of my head far more peaceful. The constant hum of human thought, too much to actually hear any of it clearly, was mixed with the other signals their brains conducted. I could smell the adrenaline permeating the air. I just wished they'd calm down a bit – all their neural activity was beginning to give me a headache. It's only a _girl_, for goodness sakes. She was going to be here for a year, there was no need for all this excitement tonight.

Maybe I should have told Ruth I was not coming to the barbeque tonight. I should have told her I had a headache. But no, our beloved DON would not have accepted that. I was a doctor here in Keyes, one of only two (well, now three), so I had to be here to welcome Dr Snow. It was my duty. Besides, Ruth Cox was more than capable of giving me a headache worse than this assembled crowd was. You did not cross that woman unless you really had to.

Just then, I heard something amongst the buzz, and my head spun to find the source. My eyes fell on Graham Logan, a miner. There was something not quite right amongst his synapses. He was feeling…dizzy. Ah – his vestibular apparatus. I could fix that.

"Graham," I said as I walked over to him, "What's that?"

"What's what, Dr Monroe?" he asked, confused.

"That, between your legs," I said, pointing to my invisible object.

Graham lent forwards, sticking his head between his knees.

"I don't see anything, Doc," his voice was muffled.

"Maybe it's on the left there. I definitely see something."

Graham spun his head to the left, and I smiled as the confusing synapses finally ceased. Evidently the calcifications had settled. He lifted his head up suddenly, pulling his hand to his face and turning to stare at me.

I shrugged at him, "Maybe it was just a trick of the light. Sorry, Graham," and I turned and left.

_Jesus Christ, me head is better! How the fuck did that happen?_

I smiled. Three hundred years of medical training and one not-so superfluous talent, that's how. I wasn't going to tell him, though.

I walked over to the bonfire and sat myself down, knowing that I was probably going to have to shake Dr Snow's hand when she got here and I wanted them to be a vaguely more normal temperature. Newcomers were always a hassle – you had to be perfect with the charade while they were around. After you get to know people, you can let some things slip through the cracks because they've already decided you're human, but not when you first meet them. I sighed – newcomers were always so aware I was something beyond the normal, and as such, tended to focus on me for at least the first week. I was sure this girl was going to be no different.

I started to hear yet another four-wheel drive approach, except for this one I knew the passengers.

_"And if you have any problems with the washing machine, just give me a shout and I'll get Hardy to come over and take a look for you. That old thing is always stuffing up, but we can't afford a new one. Budget deficit, you see…"_

Our DON, and by extension, our new intern, were finally going to make an appearance.

Just then Ruth's 4WD finally pulled in to view, and the rest of the townsfolk finally noticed their proximity.

"Hey, it's Ruth and the new girl!"

I looked over, to see a girl disembark from the car. Well, I guess a woman would be more accurate. She had blonde curls that she had pulled in to a ponytail, which stuck out from the back of her neck like a pom pom. She was pale, with brown eyes that even in the darkness I could see clearly. Her nose had a slight bulb on the end, but it suited her face. She wasn't skinny, but she wasn't fat. She had curves that fell away in a neat hour glass that her clothing hugged. I felt sorry for her – the locals were going to be all over her like a rash.

And, judging by the instantaneous increase in neural activity, I had been right. I couldn't help but smile a little – poor Kaia Snow.

"Hey Oliver, aren't you going to come meet the new girl?"

I turned and smiled at Doug, the sole police officer for Keyes and the surrounding areas. He stood next to the girl, who was looking a little overwhelmed by the entire situation.

"I thought maybe she would like to be buried alive under one less body," I called out to him, "I _am_ going to see her at work, you know."

"Yeah, but tonight's her night, Oliver," Doug said, swinging his arm around her shoulder, "After this, she's going to be too buried with _work_ to enjoy herself. Join the party."

The look of awkwardness that sprang to the poor girl's face made me feel sorry for her. She evidently did not know what to do about the proximity of our local law enforcement officer - her thoughts were completely blank.

"How bout you come help me with these sausages, Doug," I asked, giving her an out, "I seem to remember something about this being a barbeque. I'm sure you'd like to get fed at some point."

With that, Doug relinquished his hold on the new girl and came to help me cook dinner for everyone. Even though I was not going to eat anything that I prepared, it was a useful cover story. People assumed those who cooked the meal would snack while doing so, so they didn't notice when I didn't. It was easier than when I actually had to swallow what they called food in front of them, which I would just have to choke back up later.

_Well ain't she a prime piece of ass. Sure, a little young for me, but aren't girls these days after the more mature man…Maybe…_

"Doug," I said, interrupting him from his reverie, "How bout you go get some more sausages from the cooler."

"Oh…yeah…sure Doc," he said, before launching on his sausage finding mission.

I sighed, pretty sure that every eligible bachelor, and some that weren't so eligible, were having the same thoughts tonight. I wondered how Kaia Snow was coping, so I let my mind wander out to find her voice amongst the clamour. I couldn't find it. My brows furrowed – she couldn't have possibly left yet, it was so early. I turned to where she had been standing, and found her talking to Greg Young, the other doctor here in Keyes.

_It is amazing how much this girl knows about the treatment of hydrofluoric acid burns. I wonder which journal articles she's read…_

If she was talking about burn management, then she must be thinking. Why couldn't I hear her? I shook my head to clear it. I was probably just loosing her voice amongst the crowd. Although I had never had any problems isolating an individual's thoughts before, it was a larger crowd than I was used to tonight. The whole of Keyes seemed to be here…

Just then, Doug arrived back with the sausages, offering me a beer. I reached over and took it – not that I was going to drink that swill. Even when I _was_ human, it had never been to my taste.

"So what do you think of the new girl, doc?" Doug probed.

I shrugged at him – honestly, I didn't know what to think.

"Come on, you _have _to have an opinion! She's pretty good looking, don't you think? And about your age…"

I chuckled, "Doug, you're not really trying to play matchmaker, are you?"

"Come on, doc. I don't know why you're letting a good catch like yourself go to waste. You're intelligent, good looking, have an accent…all the chicks dig you. Why not have some fun?" _Let me live vicariously. She's way out of my league but she'd go for you… _He elbowed me in the ribs.

"Because I'm a gentleman, Doug. It's not appropriate." Let alone unwise. I very much doubted any relationships between vampires and humans could end well… at least for the human. Not that I had ever had to make those sort of considerations - I had always been a solitary being, quite comfortable with just myself. I had never felt the need to make any attachments, nor felt any sort of attraction towards anyone to make me want to do so.

"You Poms are so uptight! Live a little!"

The smell of pheromones emanating from Doug just now was overwhelming.

Just then, the wind changed direction. I sighed in relief, before taking a deep breath in, hoping to wipe Doug's pungent odour from my memory…

In that moment, as my diaphragm contracted, pulling fresh air into my lungs, the universe changed. The air that rushed past my olfactory centre contained something more than oxygen and dust, something far sweeter… far sweeter than anything I had ever smelt in my entire existence. I felt every muscle in my body tighten in response, felt the venom well up in my mouth as my body prepared itself instinctively for the hunt it _knew_ should be coming. That scent! What an odious concoction, reminiscent of honey and sunlight and a damp spring day. I had never been so tempted by the scent of a human before… I had never known it was _possible_ for anything to be so perfect. My throat burned, almost enough to make me gasp in pain, as my mind screamed at me to find the origin of the siren's call. It was only the fact that I had nearly four hundred years of practice at controlling my natural urges that kept me seated where I was just then. I shut my eyes and clenched my jaw shut, trying to suppress these urges that I had long since claimed victory over, that only now reappeared once temptation had come knocking on my door.

All this only took a heartbeat for me to process, as I opened my eyes once more and allowed my body turn rigidly in the direction the wind had come from, afraid that if I relaxed for even a moment, I would lose my carefully constructed control. I inhaled again, and once more the fire ripped through my chest and my stomach contorted painfully with need and desire. I could hear the throbbing of a heartbeat, as my eyes finally fell upon where the scent had originated. A pair of brown eyes stared back at me, widening in terror as she sensed the fierceness in mine, as I realised it was only ever going to of been _her_.

Kaia Snow, our new intern… and my first ever human victim.

No.

Even as I struggled with the hunger, the _need_ that burned within me stronger than the fires of hell, a far quieter part of me screamed in the horror of what I wanted to do. I had _never_ taken a life… well, at least a _human_ life before. How could I let four hundred years of denial and sacrifice go to waste in this one moment? How could I let myself be so tempted by a scent that I was willing to give up everything I had worked so hard for? Would I really allow myself to be so controlled by my monstrous urges that I would sacrifice the human shadow I had cloaked myself in, something that I desired more than anything else?

But that scent!

I watched as the unfortunate focus of my attention blinked once, her eyelashes fluttering as they pressed against their counterparts and her lips started to part from the shock of the realisation of the monster within me. I let my eyes drop from her face, only to land upon her neck, where I watched the rhythmic pulsation of her carotid under her too smooth skin, so soft and inviting… It called to me almost as powerfully as her scent did.

I was losing this battle with my wills. That scent, the hypnotising rhythm of her carotid, the wet thumping of her heartbeat… The fact that I was surrounded by nearly one hundred people, most of whom held me in high regard, could not stop me from feeling tempted to rush across the space between me and this girl and sink my teeth into her carotid, to be greeted with the warm, delicious fluid that flowed within. I could almost _taste_ it already. I could almost feel its warmth running down my throat…

I have to leave. I wouldn't - I _couldn't_ let myself be conquered by my inner demons. But how? How could I possibly deny myself what I wanted most dear? The sound, the sight, the _scent_… any one of these was enough to undo any other of my kind that had not abstained as I had insisted upon up till this night. How was I meant to resist all _three?_

But I didn't have to resist all three, the last sensible part of my mind called. Sight, easy, just look away. I didn't need to see her pulse beating in her neck. I didn't have to see the gentle rise and fall of her skin. I just had to look away, just for a moment. Sound, a harder task, but not impossible. There were enough people around that that particular sound should have been drowned out anyway. I just had to reduce my focus on this girl/child. I could do that. And scent…

Even though it was against my instincts - and my desire in that particular moment - I forced myself to stop breathing. It was uncomfortable, and the relief was incomplete, as her scent still played heavily on my mind, but it was enough. Distracted from her perfection, I sprang to my feet, refusing to look back towards her, refusing to walk at human speed as I fled the scene. My resistance was too weak for me to bother keeping up my human charade. In under a second, I had crossed the oval and was in my car, key already turning in the ignition as the engine roared to life, as I put it into gear and sped away.

I didn't stop until I had reached my house, opening the windows as I gasped for air, allowing the clear night breeze to wash away the poison from my thoughts. I felt my body relax as sanity slowly returned to me. I was starting to feel like me again. What had just happened? Even though I had been a vampire for nearly four hundred years, even though I had lived surrounded by thousands of humans in that time, even though I had had their blood on me and around me for three hundred years now as part of my work, I had never smelt _anything_ that came close to Kaia Snow. She was the wine that connoisseurs sought out their entire profession – the perfect bouquet. Every undertone in that scent called to me as though it would complete me. I had needed her blood as much as humans needed the air they breathed. In that moment, there was nothing else.

This was not good, this was really not good. I had come to grips centuries ago that I was a monster, that some part of me would always be attracted to the scent of humans, but I had thought that I had developed some sort of immunity to it in the intervening centuries. I had practiced so long and so hard that I did not notice normal human blood anymore. It held nothing for me. I had even come to appreciate animal blood to some degree, but all that had paled in comparison to how Kaia Snow's blood had called to me. It was though I had never known how perfect blood could be. Did others of my kind feel this way? Was that why they could not control their thirsts? No – that could not be it. Kaia Snow was just different, she was one of a kind. No one else could smell as good as she did to me. She was an aberration. An aberration that I now had to deal with at work.

This was going to be fun…


	2. Chapter 2

By the next morning, I had convinced myself that my response to Kaia Snow had been an overreaction. It was not possible for a human to be so tempting to me. I must have just overreacted to the entire situation. I'd just been caught off guard, having taken too deep a breath at just the wrong moment. That option was entirely possible – even though I was no longer tempted by human blood, I never deliberately breathed in as forcefully as I had last night. That must have been the reason why I had been so tempted. I was sure that the next time I saw the young doctor Snow that I would not have the same reaction I had that night.

When I went in to work that afternoon, I was surprised by the scent that greeted me at the entrance. It was the same bouquet as the night before, and it elicited the exact same response it had previously. I felt my muscles tighten, felt the venom well… I closed my eyes, stopped breathing and concentrated on relaxing, just glad no one else was in the hall at that moment. It would be just my luck for someone to walk in on me as I was standing as still as a statue and not breathing in the middle of the hall. When I felt I had control again, I breathed in lightly, tasting the air around me. Even though it was the same scent, it was not as potent as it was at the barbeque – Dr Snow was not here. I would have sighed in relief, but that would have necessitated breathing in again afterwards, and I wasn't willing to assault my senses more than necessary. This was going to be a bigger problem than I had first thought. How was I going to deal with this girl if she was so tempting to me? And why was she so tempting to me? It didn't make any sense…

I walked down the hall where I found Ruth and Greg chatting in the DON office, and did sigh this time. The thoughts both of that pair were thinking… They had been attracted to each other longer than I had been in Keyes this current time, yet both refused to do anything about it. They both thought it was important to maintain their official relationship. Really, if that's what they wanted, then they should quit with their other thoughts. There are some things mind readers _don't_ want to hear.

I knocked on Ruth's door politely before entering. I found Greg and Ruth sitting with their cups of coffee, looking vaguely embarrassed.

"Hello Ruth, Greg," I greeted, before walking over to take a seat in the spare chair.

"Oh, hi Oliver," Ruth said, smiling at me widely.

_That boy has such a wonderful accent, I could listen to it all evening…_

I smiled back.

"So how did our new intern go on her first day?" I asked, distracting her from her thoughts.

"She did brilliantly," Greg enthused.

I looked over at this man, who appeared much older than I did, and sighed. It didn't seem fair the effects that time had on one such as Greg Young and not me.

"Her breadth of knowledge for someone so young is quite impressive. I was surprised."

"Shouldn't it be expected, if she's meant to be some kind of child prodigy?" I asked.

"Oh, Oliver…" Ruth chided. "You're not jealous, are you?"

I snorted – of all the things I was about Kaia Snow, jealous was not one of them.

"So Greg, is there anyone in the hospital I need to keep an eye on tonight?"

His brows furrowed.

"No, don't think so. We just have Frank Thompson in for observation after his fall at the mine, but that's about it. Hopefully you'll have a quiet night tonight."

I nodded at him.

"I hope so too."

All hopes aside, the night was less than quiet, at least inside my head. I had no idea how distracted I had become whilst surrounded by Kaia Snow's scent. It seemed it was all that I thought about, and I found my mind wandering. Cassie, the overnight nurse, actually had to repeat a question for me. It didn't help matters that when she had distracted my reverie I had felt like leaning over and biting her throat… It appeared that Dr Snow's scent lowered my tolerances for humans in general. The one trauma we had that night I had had to stop breathing for, too tempted by the scent of blood mixing with her scent to control myself adequately. When I had gone home that morning, I was beside myself. I didn't know what I was meant to do. I could not stand to be around Kaia Snow's scent, but I knew that I had no power over preventing her being in the building I worked in. Even worse, she would be on call with me Friday night. I had no idea what it would be like being in a small room with her. I had no idea if it would even be possible for me to control myself. In fact, I _knew _it would be impossible to control myself. I had enough of a problem just dealing with the faint scent she left behind her. Dealing with the concentrated form that she would insist on exhaling near me all evening would prove to be too much. I may not be human but I was not a God - I did not have the self-control for that.

I spent the entire day dwelling on that horror, on my knowledge that should Dr Snow and I be forced to interact this Friday, then that would be the last interaction she would ever make. It only hurt all the more that the logical part of my brain was currently in control, with her scent not here to stimulate my more primal instincts. I could see her face in my mind, see the terror in those eyes when they had met mine and had seen the monster within. Set above her soft pink lips and beneath her golden curls - even distorted as they were by being tied back - it was almost too much to bear. I had scared her, and now I was going to kill her. She was just so young and innocent, how could she deserve that…

I wouldn't - I _couldn't_ - allow that to happen. Irrespective of the cost, I would make sure that Kaia Snow would remain safe, and the only way for that to happen would be for her to stay away from _me._ I looked over towards the clock, which showed that it was nearly two pm. Still too early for me to be out and about, trapped in my house by the light outside, but it was _not_ too early for me to be "awake". I crossed over to where my phone rested, and dialled the number to Ruth's office, impatiently tapping my fingers against the bench as I waited for her to pick up.

"Keyes District Hospital, Ruth Cox speaking…"

"Ruth," I interrupted, on edge and impatient. "It's Oliver Monroe."

"Oh hi, Oliver," she said, her surprise evident in her voice - I had never rung work before. "Is everything okay?"

"I'm fine," I lied. "I was just…looking over the staff roster, and I noticed that Dr Snow has been scheduled on with me this Friday night. I was wondering if that was up for renegotiation?"

"You would prefer another night of the week? I had thought that seeming Friday nights are generally the busiest, you would have appreciated the help…"

"I didn't mean switch her shift to another night of the week," I interrupted again. "I meant not having her scheduled on with me at all."

Silence.

"I thought you said it was okay…"

"I did," I insisted. "But I've been thinking… I've only been out practicing for a few years. I'm really not someone who should be teaching. I haven't got the experience…"

"Oliver Monroe, we both know that you're one of the brightest humans ever to grace Keyes," …not entirely accurate, but oh well… "and we both know how opinionated you can be. I would have thought that you would enjoy teaching."

"It just takes up too much time," I replied, changing tact. "And night shift is so late. I'm really too tired and too busy to be bothered spending time teaching…"

"Dr Monroe, you will listen to me," Ruth interrupted, her voice stern. "I am not entertaining rearranging Dr Snow's timetable just because you are feeling lazy, especially because you haven't even spent one night with her yet. She may not be the hindrance you're expecting. Besides, the only reason why we are even allowed to have an intern is because she is meant to be getting experience in a number of disciplines. If she does not have access to after hours and emergency experience, then her place will be rescinded, and I am _not_ going to allow that to happen just because you can't be bothered doing your duty. Isn't it part of that whole oath you take, to distribute your knowledge to the next generation or whatever?"

I sighed. "Yes."

She wasn't going to make this easy…

"Then you shall do what I'm asking, Oliver. It's just one night a week. How hard could that be?" …if she only knew… "Greg is having her for the rest of the week, and he doesn't seem to mind. Now go get some sleep, otherwise you really will be tired for nightshift."

And with that, she hung up on me.

I looked incredulously at the phone I held in my hand - Ruth had hung up on me! She'd never done that before… In fact, most of the time she was almost worshipful in my presence, but then again, I guess most of the time I made her job easier for her, rather than harder. So it seemed that avoiding young Dr Snow was out - Ruth was not going to allow me to shirk that duty - so what did that leave me? Was I destined to kill her on Friday night? Was that the inevitable end to this tragic series of events? I felt my throat burn once more at the remembered scent of Kaia Snow, and I felt myself shudder away from it in horror. No. I was not going to allow that to happen. But then what could I do?

I made the decision to go back to basics. It had been so long since I had been young and out of control, but my methods had served me well in my youth, I could only hope they would serve me now. I was glad I lived out of town, as I left my house without my car, allowing myself to run across the plains. I breathed in deeply as I searched out my prey, and was glad when I smelt the rusty, earthy scent of a mob of kangaroos. I concentrated for a second during my approach, and smiled when the approaching mob collapsed in the red earth. My little talent could be useful at times, as I approached the kangaroos one by one and drained those superfluous to the needs of the mob of their blood. I felt so full it was almost disgusting, but I found that the blood of these creatures did not satisfy me as they had done previously. I still had Kaia Snow's scent in my mind, and everything else paled in comparison. I sighed. Yet another part of my existence she was affecting. I wondered where it was going to end.

I am ashamed to say that I repeated this pattern for the rest of the week. Even though this was overfeeding in the extreme for me, I hoped that by being full my thirst would be sated when I next encountered Kaia Snow. During my nights at the hospital during the week, I had found it easier to coexist with her scent, but whether that was due to my safeguarding or due to my familiarity with the scent, I did not know.

I still hadn't worked out my plan of attack when Friday finally rolled around. My entire body was on edge, anticipating the onslaught, yet there was nothing I could do to prevent it from occurring. Even though I dreaded the thought, I knew Dr Snow may die tonight, and that there was nothing I could do to prevent that. At the same time, it was strangely a relief that either way, the problem I had tormented myself over this week would be over one way or another this evening. It was only this minor consolation that had allowed me to go to work at all this evening. I decided to sneak in to the hospital early, allowing me time to establish a defensive position away from where Dr Snow would be working. Even though I knew that I would have to sign off on her patients, I was going to limit the time we spent together as much as possible. It was the best hope I had that I may just avoid killing her this evening. When the doors to the hospital opened, I was greeted once more by the same scent that had tortured me the entire week, and once more I found myself frozen in the doorway, allowing myself to adjust to the assault before I relaxed enough to continue towards where the woman I needed to see was. I found Cassie in the nurse's station talking to Hailey, who was knocking off for the day.

"Dr Monroe," Cassie greeted. "You're here early."

I gave her my most alluring smile, and felt satisfied when I heard her heart start to race. This was going to be easier than I anticipated. Hailey picked up my change in attitude - and what Cassie hoped it meant - immediately, making a hasty goodbye to give me and her colleague some privacy. She gave what she had thought to be a stealthy wink to Cassie, as she rounded the door and left.

"Cassandra," I addressed her fully, staring into her eyes and watched as her pupils dilated. "I understand that I'll be supervising Dr Snow tonight."

Her mouth just hung open as she looked at me, as she slowly nodded her head.

"I actually have some paper work that I need to do for accreditation tonight," I continued. "I hope you don't mind, but I'll be staying in my room unless needed. Could you please let me know if Dr Snow needs any help or assistance?"

She just nodded at me again, still too dumbstruck to speak.

I smiled even more widely at her, before releasing her from my gaze.

"Thank-you, Cassandra," I breathed, my voice sounding fervent, as I turned and left.

I felt like a coward as I retreated to my office, and sighed. _This_ was the best I could think of? Hiding from this child because I lacked the will to be around her? Some scary monster I was. I looked around my office, trying to think of something to do with my wasted evening. I walked over to my desk and assembled some paperwork to do, but I couldn't find the energy to actually start any of it. I tapped my pencil on the desk. I wondered if Kaia Snow had arrived for her shift yet. I looked at the clock, and it had just gone six. Surely she must be here by now… I allowed my mind to drift, allowing myself to hear the minds of everyone in the hospital, but I couldn't find Dr Snow. I was fairly sure she wasn't here - there was only five people in the building apart from me, so I couldn't have lost her in the crowd. Why wasn't she here? Had she fallen ill? I don't know why I cared - I shouldn't be concerned for this girl's wellbeing, seeming the only thing she had to fear was me. But as time went on, and I started to hear patients start coming in to the building, I was feeling anxious. I picked up the phone and dialled the nurse's station.

"Nurse's station, Cassie speaking."

"Cassie, it's Dr Monroe. I was just wondering if Dr Snow had made it in yet."

"She's been here since six. Would you like me to get her for you…"

"No, that's ok. I was just making sure I wasn't needed," I answered hurriedly, not wanting Cassie to bring her to the phone.

"Oh…ok," she sounded a bit despondent.

"Make sure to let me know if she needs anything," I told her, before hanging up. I should have been more polite, but my mind was elsewhere at the moment.

I shut my eyes and allowed myself to focus, but I couldn't find Dr Snow anywhere. Maybe Cassie was wrong, or she had stepped out for a moment…

_She's gorgeous, this doc…almost makes me glad Fitzy slogged me one…_

I felt my face contort at this man's thoughts. Evidently he had seen Dr Snow recently. I focused on him more closely, and started to feel the grogginess he was experiencing, before finally seeing what he did. I never liked to immerse myself in people's thoughts too deeply, but I was willing to make an exception this evening.

I was greeted by an image of a pair of breasts that were covered by a light blue sweater. The body it covered was pale, and made the vision twitch when it pulled a needle in and out of my host's skin. I allowed myself to access his olfactory centre, and was accosted by the scent that had haunted my life for the past week. I lost control of my concentration as I felt my body tighten instinctively in response, as my eyes flew open. I breathed in and out through my mouth deeply, allowing my body to relax.

Kaia Snow was definitely in the building.

If she was in the building, then why couldn't I hear her? My brows furrowed - didn't this woman meet _any_ of the human stereotypes I had developed over the past four hundred years? I was surprised when I found myself rising to my feet and leaving my office, walking down the stairs to the emergency department. Cassie tried to get my attention as I brushed past her in the hall, before I stormed in to the cubicle Dr Snow and her patient were inhabiting.

I was surprised by the beauty of her under the fluorescent lighting. Her hair, in a bun tonight, glistened like spun gold, her rich chestnut eyes set in her silky ivory cheeks. I didn't remember her being this stunning, but then again, the lighting hadn't been great the last time we had met - not that that had ever been a problem for me before. I only looked at her for a moment, which just confirmed the silence I had experienced upstairs. I looked across to her suture tray, and noticed that she had finished with this man's forehead laceration - it was a good excuse for me to be here. I crossed over to her patient, not breathing, and looked at her handiwork for the barest of moments. It was very well done - all evenly spaced, all the knots well tied. I was surprised when I felt the slightest bit of frustration at this man, knowing full well where his thoughts had been just moments ago. I looked back towards Dr Snow, dismissing my thoughts on this man's lechery, before I signed the chart and left.

I bumped in to Cassie again in the hall.

"Dr Snow is looking for you," she called.

"I know," I said a little bit harshly, continuing in my stride back to my hiding place. I had a lot to think about.

I wasn't as gentle as I should have been when I re-entered my office, my door slamming so hard the paintings on my wall shook from the force, even though I had never intended it to do so. I just sighed in response, before allowing my head to rest on my desk, my mind still whirring around the second impossibility to have greeted me since Kaia Snow had entered my world.

She was silent! Not a sound, not a synapse. No neuronal activity that I could listen to at all. It was almost as though she was dead… but that was not possible! Even vampires, the quintessential living dead, had synapses I could listen to. So how could it be possible that a living and breathing human had nothing for me to listen to?

I knew that when I stormed my way into the emergency department like a black cloud that I was still searching for the sounds silently coming from Dr Snow's mind. I had thought - foolishly, it seemed - that my improved proximity would allow me to pick up anything that might be issuing from that mind. But no, in all her stubbornness, the sound of her mind continued to elude me, almost as though she was deliberately trying to break every delusion I held about humans - if I was being honest, every delusion that I held about myself.

Delusion number 1: I had procured enough self-control that human blood was no longer tempting to me.

How well had she dispelled that illusion! Even now, sitting here in my room surrounded by items that were covered in my scent, I still could smell the lightest hint of her fragrance that hung to my clothes, and it was enough to make my throat burn and my stomach ache in unimaginably cruel ways. Even worse, the way her scent combined with the scent of others made them irresistible as well. It had cut through to my core, tearing away every shred of self-control I possessed and left me no more capable than a newborn. I moaned in disgust at myself.

Delusion number 2: my extra sense was infallible.

Ever since I had woken to this new life and realised that I now possessed the ability to hear the synapses of others, allowing me to interpret their thoughts and physiological processes, I had always believed that it was an absolute thing. No animal, no man, mortal or immortal, had ever managed to escape my acute hearing. That is, until Kaia Snow had entered my world.

I don't know why this bothered me so much. I had always thought of my extra sense as a burden. It had always frustrated me the fact that I was forced to hear the thoughts of others, that I alone was forced to see through the illusion they provided the rest of the world with. I alone had to know their secrets, their inner demons, and that had driven me nearly insane. As jaded as I was about the world, knowing fully how dark it really was even in those most innocent had my soul - or whatever I had as a substitute - cry. So shouldn't I be glad that I could not hear Dr Snow's thoughts? Especially considering the very real possibility that I may end her life tonight? Shouldn't I feel relieved that I would not have to listen to those last few terrified thoughts, see myself through her eyes, the physical embodiment of her own personal hell? I should be glad, so why wasn't I?

I hated to think that it was because I was so petty I didn't like the idea of being bested by a human. I had to admit, since my rebirth I have had an understandable sense of omniscience. My speed, strength, acute senses and my ability to read minds had provided me with a sense of superiority. Being refused access to her thoughts did make me feel almost as though she had beaten me. As though her scent hadn't done that well enough already!

Another option was that I felt like I needed to hear her thoughts, hear the fear in them, hear her _humanity_, hoping that this would somehow distract me from my darker urges long enough for my rational side to take over and allow her to stay alive. This deduction made sense, and even better, allayed some of my guilt. I didn't feel like such a cad when my frustration was because I wanted to protect her rather than at being bested by a mortal.

It seemed unfair to me that one mortal had to be put at risk in so many ways. It was almost as though the fates were trying to get me to kill her. An overwhelmingly alluring scent to garner my attention, a silent mind so my actions can bypass my moral compass, and a forced proximity to increase the chance that my will might falter. What had this girl done to deserve such a fate, and more realistically, what had I done to deserve mine?

I sighed once more, as I rubbed my hands across my eyes while I wished that this evening would soon end. For my salvation or for Dr Snow's, I did not know, and for the moment, I didn't think it mattered.

Even though I desperately attempted to remain in my office and avoid temptation for the rest of the evening, I found myself strangely compelled to be around Dr Snow, even though I knew it was not a good idea. I don't know why, but I couldn't seem to keep myself in my office, even though that was the safest place for me to be - not just for me, but for both of us. I spent the entire evening ducking in and out of people's heads, watching her as she worked. It was fascinating - she was quite skilled for someone so young. And she was always kind and courteous to her patients, whether they deserved it or not. I always seemed to find myself physically dropping in on her cases, using the excuse that I needed to sign her charts. I refused to breathe around her, knowing that would be too dangerous, so it was difficult on the rare occasions when she did miss something for me to force the words out. Dr Snow just looked at me on these occasions. There was something in her eyes while she observed me that I did not recognise, but she never alluded to me what was on her thoughts. I had always thought silence would be peaceful, but it was anything but. Every time a micro expression crossed her face, I was desperate to know what she was thinking, yet I had no way to access her thoughts. Was this how humans felt?

Around midnight, the call came in that there was a car rollover just outside of town with three casualties. SES was already on the scene. I walked downstairs to the emergency department, knowing full well that we would need to attend the scene. On my way out to my car, I felt Kaia Snow fall in behind me, and I could feel the heat radiating from her body. Just before we reached my car, I spun to face her.

"Dr Snow, we will need more than one car to bring the casualties back," I told her, expending my supply of oxygen in the process. I was not going to breathe in to rectify that. Not with her this close…

I saw a look of disappointment flash across her face, but I couldn't feel guilty. It was difficult enough being in the same building as her. Being in the same car may prove too much for my self-control. I almost expected her to object, but she didn't. Instead, she just turned and headed over to her car. I just shook my head as I watched her passage, before hopping into my car and heading over to the crash site.

As soon as I arrived at the scene, my concerns over Dr Snow evaporated - I had a job to do. As soon as I disembarked from my car, I knew where my attention was most needed. There was a man lying in the dirt nearly ten foot from the car, and I didn't need my extra sense to know that he was in a bad way. He evidently had been riding in the tray of the ute as it had attempted to execute donuts on this barren stretch of road and had rolled over. His colour implied that he was losing blood - fast - and his lack of neural activity suggested a head injury of some sort. The other two men who were busily being cut from the wreckage by the SES volunteers could wait for Dr Snow to arrive.

I whistled as I crossed over to my patient, and Phil, a SES volunteer, came and joined me.

"Phil," I said as I sorted through my bag of medical supplies, fishing out a bag of saline and throwing it to him. "When I say, you'll need to squeeze this."

Phil just nodded in response, not looking too flash a colour himself. He had just turned seventeen and had just started volunteering. Evidently this was his first road accident. His thoughts were a swirl of nausea and fear.

I looked down at the young man that lay before me, trying to assess where to start first. From the threadiness of his pulse, and the blood that sluggishly gushed from his leg where the bone had pierced the skin, it was probably best that I dealt with the bleeding first. That, and Dr Snow would be arriving on the scene soon, and I would need to be under the strictest control by the time she got here. My thoughts spread out to the car, and I realised that the one tourniquet in the emergency pack would be needed for one of the men still in the vehicle, so I removed my shirt and used it as a makeshift tourniquet. I then inserted a drip into the man's arm, which I attached to the saline bag. I looked up at Phil.

"Squeeze."

To his credit, Phil did as he was told, even though he was incredibly uncomfortable this close. I didn't need to look in to my patient's eyes to know his pupils would be fixed and dilated. The few scrawny synapses that were still functioning told me that he would have bleeding in his brain. I looked back up to Phil sympathetically, before saying, "I suggest you look away." This was not going to be pleasant for either of us.

I was retrieving the largest bore needle I had in the emergency pack when I heard Dr Snow's car arrive. I didn't need to look at it to know it would be her; the silence that accompanied its arrival said everything. I grabbed the large bore needle, glad that I had a squeamish colleague as I used my inhuman strength to force it through the man's skull, hoping it would serve to relieve the pressure. As the blood started to gush from his skull, I heard the tearing of metal that indicated that one of the other casualties had been released from his metal tomb. My hand continued moving, as I tried to stem the flow of blood elsewhere in this man's body, but my mind wandered to the mindless panic of the man who was now under the care of Dr Snow.

_Oh my God my fucking leg! My fucking leg! There's a fucking pole in my fucking leg!_

I looked up towards my colleague briefly, where she sat next to this man, unsure of what to do. Whilst Phil wasn't looking, I flung the emergency pack to her side.

"In the bag," I shouted over the din, to make sure she heard me. She looked at me briefly, before she looked to the emergency bag, digging the tourniquet out and beginning to work on her patient. I felt something flutter in my stomach as I watched her work, but just then, I felt the heart of my patient stutter to a stop, as the remaining synapses in his head went quiet. My full attention turned to this man, as I desperately tried to revive him, but it was of no use. He was gone.

I rubbed my hand through my hair in frustration, before punching the ground, leaving a large imprint in the dirt. Phil turned towards me when he heard the noise.

"He's gone," I growled, pulling myself away from the corpse, leaving Phil to deal with it as I went and joined Dr Snow.

I threw myself into the dirt beside her, looking at the man in front of her. I was more than capable of dealing with his damaged femoral artery.

"Move," I said, when she hadn't noticed my arrival. I was probably more gruff than necessary, but I was suffering from my recent defeat. She shuffled to the side, allowing me to take her place.

"But your patient…"she protested.

"He's dead," I spat, the words tasting bad in my mouth. She glanced over towards my patient, before looking back at me, her eyes wide.

"Get me my bag from the car, Dr Snow," I snapped, for once not caring what she was thinking as I began to work on her patient, pulling a tarp under his leg as I attempted to create a sterile field to work in. She moved with surprising speed for a human, returning with my bag before I had a chance to finish my work surface, as I was still washing away the remaining dirt from his leg. I motioned towards Dr Snow to don a pair of surgical gloves. Even though I didn't want her near me, I would need an assistant. I was surprised as I worked that she knew what I needed without me needing to verbalise it. This was a good thing - I don't think I had enough air in my lungs to form a sentence, and I was not willing to breathe with her _and_ blood around, afraid of my control. It wasn't hard to incise around the metal pole in the man's leg, reconnecting the vessels that had been severed in the process. The man's thoughts were screaming through my head, breaking my concentration.

"Dr Snow, some more morphine for your patient," I said, desperate for his thoughts to quieten down so I could concentrate. She shook her head, some curls escaping from her makeshift bun as she did so, and I felt my stomach squeeze again. But she did go and fetch the medication necessary, administering it to her patient, as his thoughts quietened enough for me to continue my work. It was the work of a few more minutes to get to a position where I was ready to remove the pole, which I yanked cleanly out before throwing aside.

"You can go have a look at patient three now. I can manage from here," I grunted with the last of my breath. She stood up without looking at me, crossing to the final casualty as I continued to repair the man's leg. I felt my mind wander as I finished my last suture, as my eyes and thoughts crossed to where Dr Snow was putting the man's arm in a backslab. I continued to watch as she started to suture the many small cuts the man had received, and I watched the tears begin to roll down his face.

"It was just meant to be a bit of fun," he repeated to himself over and over. I watched as Dr Snow's body tightened as he said this, her eyes glancing over at the sheet that covered my patient. I could see the anger in the way she held herself, but she remained silent as she set her final stitches.

I just watched Dr Snow as we waited for the RFDS plane to arrive. The way she looked as the early morning rays hit her pale skin…she was enchanting, and I felt my stomach twist uncomfortably. As I stood in the shadows, watching as she loaded our patient onto the RFDS plane, I was surprised to find that somehow during the course of the evening, my feelings towards this girl had absolutely changed. I was completely taken aback by this woman, who looked so soft and innocent, but remained an enigma to me. She was tempting to me in a way no human or vampire had ever been, with her untouchable thoughts and glorious scent, but I was beginning to realise that they were not the only things that drew me to Kaia Snow, in ways far less violent than I was used to. She was brilliantly intelligent, but she tried not to draw attention to that. She was quiet and subdued, and was caring and generous - watching her set her stitches in the driver earlier had more than illustrated that. She had comforted him as he lamented the death of his friend, something that she knew he was responsible for. It was these qualities that added up in my head to something spectacular - Kaia Snow was just truly a good person, something that was so rare in our world. It was that knowledge of her goodness that drew me towards her even though I knew I should leave her alone. Kaia Snow did not deserve to have me in her orbit, hiding in the shadows, waiting to destroy her. Even though the bloodlust had mysteriously evaporated during the events of the evening, I knew that could only ever be a temporary thing. I should leave her alone, but I couldn't, and I didn't know why that was.

After the RFDS plane retrieved our patient, we returned to the hospital where she x-rayed and plastered the remaining victim of the accident. I wasn't paying attention to what she did, too enthralled in observing her perfection to think about anything else. She held out her chart for me to sign, still not meeting my eyes. I felt guilty - I had snubbed her deliberately before (admittedly out of necessity rather than choice), and it appeared she had taken it personally. I don't know why, but I didn't want her to hold a bad opinion of me, even though that was the most accurate one for her to have. I needed to say something before she left, but what to say?

"Revise your primary survey for next time. Remember - airways, breathing, circulation."

That was the best I could come up with?

"You…did well…for a first timer," I forced out, cringing at my own inept attempt at a compliment.

She just sighed as she turned and walked away, her feet dragging along the floor. She was exhausted. My brows knit together as I started the walk towards home, donning the trench coat and hat that hid my skin from the early morning sunlight. Was she going to be ok? She looked so exhausted… Who could blame her after last night? My body protested with each step I took towards home, my thoughts returning again and again to Kaia Snow. I would just check…see if she was ok. The bloodlust hadn't returned just yet. Surely, if I didn't breathe, I would pose no risk to her. She needed someone to check on her, and no one else was available. I changed direction and headed towards the intern's house, carefully entering through an open window. Kaia had collapsed her couch, her hair falling in beautiful disarray around her face, her blood stained face looking so peaceful as she slept. I frowned - she was going to be very uncomfortable if she slept there the entire day. I walked up to where she rested, gently brushing a curl away from her face as she shivered from my touch. I froze for a second, waiting to see if she woke, but she continued to sleep. I gently slipped my arms under her, lifting her as easily as I would a pillow, standing to carry her to her bed. I was surprised as I felt her snuggle in to my chest. Evidently, my trench coat provided enough protection so she could not feel my temperature. But I could feel her heat. It burned into my chest, and I felt my stomach squeeze again. I just watched her after I placed her into her bed, pulling her sheets over her to keep her warm. A thousand thoughts and emotions ran through my head, and none of them made sense. What was I doing here? And how did I feel as I watched Kaia sleep? Every time she sighed, or rolled over, I felt my stomach contort uncomfortably again, and I had no idea why that was. I had to leave, but my body protested. What I was doing wasn't right - it was voyeuristic at best, stalking at worst. I forced myself to leave her side, as the sky got brighter and brighter outside of her window. I slipped back out of the window I had entered through, and ran towards my home, hoping no one would see me. It was stupid to have remained in town so long - someone might see my too-quick passage, or some of my skin could be exposed, which would have revealed me for the monster I was. This was dangerous.

I felt relieved as I re-entered my house, shutting the door behind me as I surveyed the only place on this planet I could be myself, and was filled with an overwhelming emptiness that I hadn't experienced before. Here I was to hide for the next twelve hours, forced to endure the nothingness that awaited me so I could pretend to be human at a later date. I stared at my hands, as the small rays of light that snuck through the windows hit my skin, sending small rainbows across the room. My hands that had been made as nothing more than tools to end the lives of others. Even though they had avoided their original purpose, did that make them any less monstrous? If my thoughts of the past week could have stained these hands, by now they would be blood red. My thoughts were far more monstrous than my actions ever were.

I sighed as I turned to look around the room, wondering what I could possibly do to waste the coming hours. My thoughts once again strayed to Kaia Snow, to the innocence on her face as she slept, her warmth as she had unconsciously buried into my chest. I could almost still feel her heat. I looked at the clock on the mantel, the only clock I had ever owned, and I wondered if she would be able to wake today. The night had been so long on her fragily human form, would she be able to recover from that today? My eyes strayed to the phone which sat on the desk, and I found myself crossing to it, lifting it from the receiver, about to dial her number to find out how she was…

No.

I could not ring Kaia Snow. Not only had I been horrible to her last night, but I should not be contacting her anyway. I needed to maintain the distance between us, for her safety and for my hands to remain unstained.

I felt my stomach contort again as I thought of our continuing separation when inspiration hit. I would call Ruth. Ruth would want to know how she did, and she was such a mother hen that she would go check on Kaia with only the slightest prompting. I lifted the phone to my ear, as my other hand raced across the keys, dialling the number that would get me to my intended target.

It rang only three times before it was answered.

"Hello?" A groggy voice came down the line.

"Ruth, it's Oliver. I'm sorry for ringing you at this early hour, but I thought you'd like to hear how our new girl did on her first night."

"Oliver?…"

It wasn't like Ruth to be so slow. Maybe it was earlier to her than I had thought.

"It's six am…" She sighed. "So how did Kaia go?"

"Brilliant," - really, there was no other word for it - "She has an evident natural talent for emergency medicine."

"Oh…ok. Wait…emergency medicine?"

"There was a car rollover outside of town around two am. Boys from the mine. One died, one has been retrieved, and the other is in hospital with minor injuries," I supplied, even though I only wanted to talk about Kaia Snow.

"Oh dear. And how did Kaia go?"

"As I said, she was a natural."

I could hear Ruth was beginning to wake up and get chatty. I couldn't allow that.

"Look, Ruth. I'm sorry but I'm really tired." I faked a yawn. "It's been a long night. I think you better check on Kaia later - she's not as used to the pace as I am. I don't think we want her sleeping through the next week."

"Oh, of course Oliver. I'll check on her later today. You go get some sleep. You sound exhausted."

As I hung up the phone, I was surprised to realise that Ruth was right. I was exhausted, but it was not fatigue that caused it. I was emotionally spent.

Because the thoughts in my head had finally become coherent. I had finally worked out why my stomach clenched every time I thought or heard about Kaia. I was… attracted to her.

This was going to be more difficult than I thought.

I hadn't thought that was possible…


	3. Chapter 3

My new realisation of my inappropriate feelings for Kaia Snow floored me. How had it happened? Why had it happened? And more importantly, what could I do about it? Because I knew one thing if I knew nothing else - I could never act upon my feelings. Even though a part of me cared for her - how deeply I had not ascertained just yet - a much larger and much more dangerous part of me thirsted for her blood. I could not risk being around this woman, irrespective of my own twisted desires. My darker half was just too much of a risk for her. But could I do what was necessary? Could I prevent this sick infatuation from developing, dragging me more and more into her orbit, to the point where I was close enough for the monster inside to strike? I did not know if I was capable of that, but I needed to be. I would never be able to be involved with Kaia Snow, could not even be friends. I would have to maintain a careful distance between us, would have to avoid all possible forms of contact.

I felt my stomach contract uncomfortably at that thought. It seemed as though whatever I did about Kaia Snow, I was going to end up being hurt in the end. Avoiding her would be for the best, because this stopped _her_ from being hurt. That was more important than my own immortal feelings. That was more important than anything else. Irrespective of how my actions would injure me, I would keep going. If I allowed myself to hurt her, she wouldn't.

It was with that knowledge that I solidified my intent. I would avoid all possible contact with Kaia Snow. I would not talk to her at work, I would not stalk her as I had tonight. We would not cross each other's paths unless entirely necessary, and even then, it would only be briefly.

At least, that was what I attempted…

For the following week, I stuck to my guns as I instituted my attempts at avoidance of the only face I could see. I went about my job every night, and returned to my house as soon as work finished, sequestering myself away as I waited for the long days to end. And the days did seem longer than usual, as though time was actually expanding. Quite often, I got impatient and ended up going to work early (always after when Kaia had finished work for the day). I avoided all conversations about her, I did not bring her up to Ruth, Greg or the other nurses. But then Friday night came along, and our continuing separation could not be continued. I refused to allow myself to hide away in my office, telling myself if I did I would only eavesdrop on Kaia's activities. I tried to bury myself under patients, but they were sparse that evening, and I found the thoughts of those who were around her encroaching on my thoughts, and I did not have the willpower to block them out. Then there were the moments of our forced contact, when I had to check on the job she did. I was always floored by her perfection in these moments, and it took all my concentration to look away from her chocolate eyes and focus on her patients. Then again, occasionally it appeared that Kaia had trouble looking away from my eyes, although I was probably reading more into that than was actually there - she never said a word to me.

After work that night, I watched as she once more dragged her tired body home, and I couldn't help but wonder if she would be ok. Even though I tried to force myself homeward, once more I found myself sneaking into her residence, finding her once again asleep on her couch. It hadn't hurt last time…and it was for her benefit. I tried to justify it to myself as I once more lifted her sleeping form from the couch, cradling her in my arms as I headed towards her bedroom. But today, I didn't place her on the mattress. Instead I held her as I sat on the edge of the bed, watching as her eyes played beneath her lids. I felt a yearning to know of what she dreamt, a yearning to know _everything_ that she thought, and I sighed. I froze as I felt her body tighten in response, but relaxed when all she did was roll closer to me, one hand grabbing onto my collar and squeezing. The ache I felt this time did not come from my stomach, but from where my long-absent heart rested.

I was allowing myself to go too far. This had to end.

I gently righted myself before depositing Kaia on her bed, needing to gently suggest that she release my shirt from her grasp. I stared at her as she slept, and was unsure of what I was going to do. It was an impossible situation - we couldn't be apart even if I wanted to, and even if we could be apart, I was not sure I was capable of remaining away. How far would I let myself get attached to this human girl, knowing full well that irrespective of my actions, someday she would leave? And what would I feel when she was gone?

I rang Ruth again that morning, once again engaging in a brief conversation to encourage the woman to check on Kaia later in the day. After I had hung up, I turned towards the conundrum that faced me. What was I going to do about Kaia Snow, seeming my original plan had failed so fully? It appeared that I was incapable of leaving her alone - in fact, it seemed that absence only made my behaviour more reprehensible when I did finally give in. Honestly, I had sat holding the girl for nearly two hours this morning - I could not allow that to happen again. I decided that the only course of action must be desensitisation. It had worked while I was younger with blood, maybe it would work with Kaia Snow as well. Yes, I realised that one was a natural compulsion and the other was a human, but my attraction towards Kaia Snow _was_ a compulsion. I could not force myself to stay away from her. Maybe, with increasing exposure, I would find myself less drawn to her, as I had with blood. I tried not to think that maybe this was giving in to my voyeuristic side. I was not doing this for my own sick pleasure, I was doing it for her benefit.

So for the following weeks I began the process of desensitisation. I had initially thought to limit the process to Friday nights only, but I had found myself unable to leave her abode again that morning, so I decided to extend it to other nights of the week as well. So following nightshift every night, I would break and enter Kaia Snow's residence, where I would watch her sleep for half an hour. During Friday nightshift I allowed myself to work in closer and closer proximity to her, and after the first week of increased exposure, I started to breathe around her. Sure, it was only the occasional breath (my body still responded as it had on our first meeting), but I found that I was getting more used to her scent. If desensitisation was going to work, I was going to have to get used to that aspect of her as well. I also found myself swimming in the thoughts of those people that surrounded her. I don't know why, but I never felt like I was an intruder when I did so. I was not concerned with the thoughts about anyone else. Kaia Snow was increasingly becoming the only person inhabiting my world.

Approximately seven weeks after Kaia had arrived in my world, I found myself yet again heading towards the hospital for Friday night nightshift, whistling as I went. The sense of jubilation I felt on these evenings should have been a warning that desensitisation was not working out as well as I hoped, but I didn't care. All I cared about was that I was going to be in her presence again. I should have taken that as a warning sign, but I didn't.

But tonight was different - I had decided I was going to _talk_ to her. It was the next step of desensitisation - allowing myself to interact with her in a more conventional form than eavesdropping on her conversations and watching her sleep. I was going to bring up an article I had found in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaeocology on placental abruption - it was relevant as last week we had a patient who that had happened to. She undoubtedly would be polite and listen to me talk, and I hoped that she would enjoy the experience too.

I was interrupted from my reverie when I heard the sound of breaks squealing, and I looked up towards the sound. But my eyes never found the source of the noise, as they locked in horror on a pair of brown eyes.

The only brown eyes in the world.

Our eyes only met for a moment before her head turned, looking towards the source of the noise. Freed from her gaze, I too searched out the noise, as I saw a car barrelling around the corner, headed towards the unfortunate object of my affection.

Not her…

I didn't even think as I flung myself into the fray, reaching her within the second, my hand grabbing onto her upper arm, as I felt her bone shatter beneath my fingers. There was no time as I flung her away from the path of the oncoming vehicle, and I felt my body shudder as I heard her connect with the nearby wall. I turned to face her, horror at her potential injury making me forget the reason for my indelicate intervention, when the car connected with me. I was unmoved as I felt the metal curl around my form, and I heard Kaia scream. It only took a moment for the car to wrap around me before flipping over me, its momentum too much for it to come to a halt just yet. Once again, it headed towards Kaia. I cursed under my breath as I ran towards the flying vehicle, impacting its side, deflecting it away from her. I didn't even look to see where it landed before heading over to Kaia, discarding my ruined trench coat on the way. She sat shaking, her eyes shut, as she slowly breathed in and out.

"Kaia? Kaia?! Are you alright?"

I was overwhelmed with panic, wondering what injury I had inflicted upon her.

She opened her eyes, which were wide with shock and fear, and her gaze bore in to mine.

"Kaia, can you hear me?"

"Where's your trench coat?"

Her voice shook, her eyes not looking away from mine.

I was floored - amidst all the chaos, she still noticed the loss of my coat?

"I didn't bring my trench coat today. Kaia, are you hurt?" I hoped that would be enough explanation for her, as I moved onto more pressing topics.

She just looked at me, her brows furrowing. I could hear her heart beating rapidly. I decided that she was in shock, as I reached out towards her and touched her forehead. It was cold and clammy… well, at least for her. I heard Cassie arrive as I reached towards the arm I had used to remove her from the path of harm.

"Kaia's arm's broken. Can you warm up the x-ray machine?" I asked when she arrived at my side, still unwilling to look away from Kaia's eyes. I sensed Cassie nod behind me, too much in shock herself to actually speak. "Can you call Greg?" I continued. "I'm not sure of the condition of those idiots in the car."

Not that I cared about their wellbeing. They could die for all I cared.

"Did she get hit?" Cassie asked, her voice full of panic.

I shook my head.

"Just clipped, I think. Thankfully they ran into the fire hydrant."

Even though that had not been the case, I had to name _some_ obstacle they had impacted to explain away the current front end of their car.

Kaia broke our gaze for a moment, looking towards the wreckage before her eyes met mine again as Cassie left us to fetch Greg.

"How did you get here so fast?" she accused.

I sighed - evidently she was not going to let go of her observations.

"I was only a few meters away, Kaia. I pulled you out of the way."

Her brows furrowed.

"You…were hit. You should be dead. Why aren't you dead?"

I was impressed by her observations, but I couldn't acknowledge that. Rule number one of being a vampire - keep the secret.

"I wasn't hit, Kaia, you're just imagining things…"

"Yes," she interrupted. "I saw you, I saw you die…"

"You're in shock." It was my turn to interrupt. "Kaia, you're just imagining things."

"I'm not!" she protested. I could have laughed at the fury in her eyes, so juxtaposed against her round face and golden curls.

"It all happened so quickly, how can you be sure of what you saw?"

"If it didn't happen, then where's your trench coat?"

I felt a sense of dread - she had found the chink in my defence and she wasn't going to let it go.

"Please, Kaia," I begged, unsure of how else to get her to let the topic go.

Kaia looked at me seriously, and nodded her head and swallowed as Doug arrived on scene. I stood up and left her then. I needed to talk to Doug before Kaia did, unsure of how much of her promise she was willing to keep. He needed to have my answer before he came to his own.

I didn't see Kaia again that evening, even though my body protested at our separation. Well, at least I did not see her in the conventional sense, although I did flit in and out of the thoughts of those who surrounded her as I attended to her would-be murderers.

I had broken her arm and dislocated her shoulder, with the wall having inflicted another fracture at impact. All things considered, I was not upset at this outcome. If it was a choice of having to get her arm reconstructed or death, I'm sure Kaia would have picked the break as well.

I still had no idea what I was to do about her insight into the actual events of the accident, knowing full well that she would want to discuss that at some point. I could only hope that she had come to her own conclusions or had forgotten by the time she arrived back in Keyes - she was being retrieved to Broome so she could have her arm reconstructed - but if I knew her as well as I thought, I doubted that would be the case.


	4. Chapter 4

My world was unbelievably empty in the intervening days. I did not know how I had survived on my own up until now, how I had thought my world had been full when it had just been me in it. As impossible as it seemed, I was desperate to hear her voice, to see her face, even to smell her scent again. I was willing to take the pain it caused, willing to suffer for an eternity, just as long as she could be _here_. I felt like half the person I had been in her absence, as though she had somehow taken half of my poor substitute for a soul with her to Broome. It took all my power not to ring the hospital in Broome, just so I could hear her voice, but I managed not to.

It seemed like a lifetime ago - and I should know, having "lived" through enough of them - that my greatest fear had been whether or not I would succumb to my thirst and kill Kaia Snow. Even though that was still the case, it was no longer forefront in my mind, because I _knew_ that I didn't want to kill her, that to do so would be death to me as well. Even this many weeks down the track, the transition I had made from hunger to love still baffled me. I mean, there had been no transition! I know people have waxed lyrical for millennia on the power of love, on how it suddenly hits you, but I had always assumed that they had been exaggerating, or, if not, just too feebly human to have noticed. I could have sworn that with my vampire senses, where everything was easy for me to see and my mind broad enough not to miss anything, that something like love would never have snuck up on me. And even if it did, I was sure that I would have been able to use my common sense and change my mind, even if it was only for the benefit of the one I loved - having a vampire in love with you could never be counted as a good thing. And yet here I was, completely overcome with the emotion of it all, and completely helpless to resist it. All I had left to cling to was _her_. Without her, I'd be cast adrift.

It was not just in my thoughts that I was unable to avoid reminders of Kaia Snow. The accident was the talk of the town in her absence. The only conversation that stuck, though, was one between Ruth and Greg.

"I got a phone call from the hospital today," Ruth said, as she and Greg had coffee that afternoon when I arrived, "They say Kaia will be able to be discharged Saturday."

"That's great," Greg enthused, "I had been worried she would be away for a lot longer."

"I had been worried that she wouldn't be coming back," Ruth replied, as I felt my silent heart squeeze almost painfully. She might not be coming back? Who could blame her, after such a horrific accident…

"_Is_ she coming back?" Greg asked.

"Well, I did ring her today, and she said she was. She says that she's desperate to get back to work, silly girl. She should be taking things easy."

I felt my body relax perceptibly - the centre of my universe would be returning. I shouldn't be as glad as I was - our separation would have assured her safety, from me, at least - but I could not bring myself to want her absence from my life. I had no idea how I would cope without her.

So it was for the remainder of that week that I anticipated her return, looking forward to the weekend when I could once again go and watch her sleep. The intervening two days rushed past as I began living in a time that was yet to occur, daydreaming about the moment we would be reunited.

Little did I realise that it was going to be a lot sooner - and a lot less beaucolic- than I had anticipated.

It was Saturday afternoon, just after lunchtime, and I was passing the time until this evening by reading a book. Romeo and Juliet - not very original, I know, but it was what I had felt like. I had a soft spot for this play, having performed it in my youth at the Globe Theatre, and it seemed to hold new resonance for me now. Just then, I heard the sound of a car in the distance. I slammed the book shut, and listened.

_I wonder if Oliver is even going to be awake…it's the middle of the day…_

Ruth was coming over? I was confused. I went to wait by the door, and I was surprised when I heard the car come to a brief halt before driving away. Maybe she had changed her mind…

Just then, I heard someone's footsteps.

Kaia Snow had decided to make an appearance.

I didn't wait for her to knock before opening the door, the anxious anticipation making me impatient. I swung the door open to reveal her fragile form upon my doorstep, her golden curls shining in the afternoon sunlight, her arm held protectively to her side by her blue sling. Had my heart still had the ability to beat, I was sure it would have stuttered from the beauty that stood before me.

"Kaia Snow. What brings you here?" I asked hesitantly. Even though I was glad to see her face - which was even more beautiful than I remembered - I knew her presence boded no good. There was only one reason why she would be here…

"Oh, um…" she hesitated, as though she was unsure of what to say next. "I just got back, and I thought…we better talk."

I raised an eyebrow, but I did do the gentlemanly thing and stand aside, allowing her admittance to my abode. She entered my home hesitantly, her eyes scanning the scenery as though she was looking for something. Once again I was bothered by the silence of her thoughts - just once, I would like access to them. The anxiety was building within me - her presence here could never mean anything good.

I lead her to the lounge, where she sat down and I sat on an arm rest, before I sighed impatiently.

"What have you come here to say, Kaia?" I asked, folding my arms across my chest defensively.

She just looked at me, as the silence permeated the atmosphere. I felt my brows furrow as I sat there and waited for her response.

"I know what you are, Oliver," she finally whispered.

I felt my body freeze - she had worked it out? How? And why was she here? Maybe she had got it wrong, come to some other conclusion…

"I don't know what you mean…"

"I know you're Liiver Man," she said, after it became clear I was not going to say anything else, "I know you're a… a vampire."

I looked at her, as the panic that I had expected failed to materialise. She knew the truth, but I didn't care. All I cared about was her leaving me, because she must be leaving me. She couldn't possibly stay, not when she knew what I was.

"How did you find out?" I finally managed to ask, and watched as she relaxed visibly.

"I'm a genius, remember. I'm good at figuring things out."

I sighed, as I once again wished that I could hear her thoughts.

"I guess you are at that," I conceded, when she failed to say anything else. Still she remained silent, but I was not willing to be the one to break it this time. I was not going to risk frightening her. Eventually I gave in, when she too refused to speak.

"Are you frightened of me?" I asked, afraid of her answer but needing to know anyway.

"No," she replied almost instantly, her eyes avoiding mine.

"You should be scared of me," I said seriously. And I meant it - fear would be good for her. Irrespective of my feelings for her, she should not be near me, not when she knew what I was.

"I don't think I can be scared of you," she said, still looking at the floor.

"Why?" I demanded.

Her eyes flew up to meet mine, and I was lost for a moment in their chocolate depths, "Because… I trust you… because…" her breath hitched in her throat, and she fell silent for a moment. She looked at me without seeing me, as though something was falling into place in her mind. Her eyes met mine again, before she said quietly, "You know why I can't be scared of you, Oliver."

I looked into her eyes, as the cogs started to whir in my head. I felt something burn in my chest, something I couldn't contain. For a moment, I thought I had lost control, that the monster had won, as I leant towards Kaia. But my teeth did not meet her neck - instead, our lips met, and I pulled her into my cold arms as I felt her soft flesh burn into mine.

I had never kissed anyone before, but a more perfect moment I had never experienced during my endless years. The way she felt in my arms, the way our lips danced together, it was more than I could bear. If I could, I would have cried at the beauty of this moment. But something else was burning deep within me, as I took a breath in and tasted the sweetness of her breath, so much sweeter due to her proximity and its freshness. I felt my muscles tighten, felt the venom well, the bloodlust I had long since discarded reawakening within me, and I knew that I had pushed things too far. I pulled away from her, my jaws held together tightly to protect her from the threat within as the monster within me screamed in frustration. Kaia reached her hand towards me, but I pulled away as the monster once more shrieked in fury.

"Give me a moment," I said through my gritted teeth, closing my eyes as I waited for control to return. I could hear Kaia's breathing slow, and I focused on that as I slowly reclaimed control. When I opened my eyes, she reached out and put her hand on mine.

"That's pleasantly warm, you know," I mumbled, feeling the heat of her hand on mine before looking up into her eyes. "This is wrong, you know that Kaia," I said with all seriousness. "I shouldn't care for you like this. It's too dangerous."

"I don't care," she replied immediately, her eyes refusing to leave mine.

How could she do that? How could she be so dismissive of the danger she knew existed? Did she really think my feelings for her, far deeper than she could ever appreciate, could ever protect her from the monster within?

"I know you know what I am, Kaia, but you don't know _who_ I am. You have no idea how much danger you're putting yourself in, just by being here. Being the object of my affections is not a good thing."

Even though I didn't want her leave, she needed the warning. I may want her, but I shouldn't. She was more important than I was.

"Why?" she asked. I almost laughed - as if it wasn't obvious.

"Because I'll kill you."

She didn't even blink. She just continued to stare into my eyes, her jaw set in a stubborn fashion.

I sighed, as everything that I had been keeping within me since her arrival came pouring out in a flood of words I was not sure wasn't too fast for her to understand.

"I knew as soon as I saw you that you were different. You weren't like the other humans I surround myself with. But I didn't know how much you would…tempt me… in ways that aren't good for either of us.

"When the wind changed at the night of the bonfire, when I caught your scent…" I felt my muscles tighten at the memory. "It took everything in my power not to kill you then.

"You must have thought me a monster. Which I am, but, I've been alive for a very long time. I managed to escape before I needed to kill you, but I knew, if it happened again, if it was just us alone, then I might not be able to control myself. So I avoided you at work. You shouldn't be around me, you were just too tempting.

"But something drew me towards you," I said, lifting my eyes to meet hers. "Like I said, you're different from other people. I don't…hear…you like I do them. This intrigued me, so I started watching. From a distance, but I was always watching."

"What do you mean, you don't hear me like you do other people?" she interrupted. Trust her to pick up on that irrelevancy and ignore the bigger issues, like me wanting to kill her and my admission of stalking.

"I can hear thoughts, but I can't hear yours," I said dismissively. "I don't know why that is. We don't all hear thoughts, in fact, I only know of two others that do and they both do it in very different ways to me…but that doesn't matter…" I sighed, before continuing on my monologue. "Anyway, the more I found out about you, the more I wanted to be near you, and the more I was near you, the more I felt…and I'm so sorry. I should have been more responsible. And now, here you are, having feelings for me too…" I looked down to where her hand remained on mine, warming it. "- and now I don't know how to stop this."

I didn't look back to her face. I just sat there, allowing her to digest this new information. Hoping that she would realise the danger but dreading her exit from my existence.

"Has anything else like this happened to you before?" she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.

I shook my head.

"Never."

"Do you want to… kill…me now?" she continued.

My eyes rose to meet her, "No!" I protested. "No, I don't _want_ to kill you! I've never _wanted_ to kill you, it's just, sometimes I feel like I have to, or that I could, accidentally."

I grabbed her hands, as I looked into her eyes, hoping she realised the truth in my words. I would die if I ever hurt her.

"It's ok, Oliver…"

"Ok?" I interrupted. How could she think to comfort me when I desired to cause her harm? "It's ok that I want to kill you? How is that ok?"

"No, Oliver," she said. "It's ok how you feel about me, how you're confused. The whole… wanting to kill me thing… that's nothing. I know you can do the right thing about that."

I sighed, exasperated by her reaction.

"I don't know what to do…"

"Easy, don't do anything. We don't need to anything today. I just felt like I should let you know that I know who you are. It's going to make this."- she gestured to the pair of us - "Whatever this is, a whole lot easier." She stood up and headed to the door, before turning to face me. "Thank-you for saving my life, Oliver. I'll see you at work."

"Wait," I said, unable to bear her passing. "How are you going to get home?"

"Oh…I'll walk."

I stood up and crossed over to her, moving a lot faster now I didn't need to keep up my charade.

"Don't be stupid, you'll burn to a crisp. I'll drive you home."

Kaia looked at me seriously.

"I don't think I should wait another few hours before leaving, Oliver."

"Why would you need to wait?" I was confused.

"Because it's daytime…"

For the first time this afternoon, I was able to laugh.

"Don't laugh at me!"

Her fury didn't help with my control over my chuckles.

"I'm not, it's just… I _can_ go out into sunlight, Kaia. The whole burning to a crisp thing is just a myth." And another round of chuckles snuck out.

"Then why do you only work nightshift?" she demanded.

"Because I don't sleep and it seems nicer to everyone else who needs to…"

"Wait, you don't sleep?" she interrupted.

I shook my head.

"Never."

Her brows furrowed, as she looked at me seriously.

"So that's the only reason you don't come out during the day, cause you're being nice."

"Well," I clarified, "that, and I'm a little bit obvious when I come out during the day… at least when it's sunny…"

Her brows furrowed again, as she snapped at me, "And what's that meant to mean?"

"Nothing," I supplied.

She pouted at me.

"Look, it's something I'll have to show you rather than tell you," I said, not sure how she'd take me saying I sparkle in the sunlight.

"If you don't realise overnight what a horrible monster I am, then maybe I'll show you on your day off or something."

"I'm not going to change my mind…" I silenced her protest by raising my finger to her lips.

"Later. Let me drive you home."


End file.
